Middle East Experience

Hundreds were nominated to receive this year's prize. Seven of them were selected, representing the same number of categories.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Sylvan Adams announces recipients of 2020 Nefesh B'Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize

Around 2,000 people gathered at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv on April 26 in a Black Flag demonstration against the unity deal between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, and in defense of the country’s democracy.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Israel’s Black Flag protest gathers momentum

Gazan medical staff received training inside Israel on the novel coronavirus in unpublicized coordination between Hamas and Israel.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Hamas quietly allows Gaza doctors to get COVID-19 training in Israel

Various sectors in Lebanon, a country grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades, have been hit hard by the measures imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Cash-strapped Lebanon struggles amid the coronavirus crisis

Sharjah-based airline Air Arabia operated repatriation flights between Pakistan and the UAE, carrying Emirati nationals back home free of charge amid the coronavirus pandemic which left citizens stranded abroad due to flight disruptions and countries closing their borders and airspace, state news agency WAM reported on Sunday.Two special flights were operated between Lahore and Multan in Pakistan and Sharjah International Airport on April 24 and 25, the airline said.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.Air Arabia also operated repatriation flights from Mumbai, Delhi, Cochin and Hyderabad in India to Sharjah International Airport on April 20 and 22.On April 17, the airline operated a repatriation flight from Nepal.It had announced on April 15, that it would be operating a mix of outbound only passenger flights as well as cargo flights during the month of April to Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sudan, Egypt, India and Nepal.Last week, Khalid Abdullah Belhoul, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said that almost 23,000 foreign nationals have been repatriated from the UAE in 127 trips which were allowed to pass through temporarily closed UAE airports.He added that the authorities have brought home 2,286 Emirati citizens on 86 reparation trips from 43 countries.Read more:Coronavirus: UAE repatriates 1,743 people, 25 more trips planned, says ministryCoronavirus: UAE extends residence visa expired in March until end of DecemberCoronavirus: Emirates airlines offers new options to keep, exchange or refund tickets
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Air Arabia runs free repatriation flights for UAE nationals in Pakistan

Kuwait confirmed 213 new coronavirus cases and recorded two fatalities over the past 24 hours, a health ministry spokesman said on Monday.The total number recorded so far reached 3,288 and the death toll climbed to 22.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Health Minister Dr. Basel al-Sabah earlier announced the recovery of 213 patients over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of recovered to 1,012.The Kingdom has seen a steady increase in daily cases while maintaining a relatively low death toll.Kuwait has tested 179,000 people so far as the ministry continues increasing its testing capacity, according to the spokesman.The first three cases in Kuwait were announced on February 24, all of which had arrived from Iran which was witnessing an explosion of cases at the time. Many of the subsequent cases confirmed in Kuwait during late February were also people arriving from Iran.Kuwait was quick to impose an 11-hour curfew on its population beginning on March 22, along with heavy fines for breaking the rules. The curfew is still in place and has been extended to 16 hours on Monday for each day beginning from the first day of the holy month of Ramadan which is expected to begin on Thursday.Al Arabiya English's Tommy Hilton and Ismaeel Naar contributed to this report.Read more: Saudi Arabia partially lifts coronavirus curfew nationwide, Mecca lockdown remainsCoronavirus: Dubai sets new guidelines for government service centers to resumeCoronavirus in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh sets 13 rules to reopen malls on April 29
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Kuwait confirms 213 new cases, two deaths, total cases now 3,288

Saudi Arabia recorded 1,289 new coronavirus cases, marking its highest daily increase so far, according to the health ministry.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The Kingdom also confirmed five new deaths, raising the death toll to 144. Meanwhile, 174 people recovered over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 2,531.Saudi Arabia saw a spike in cases when the health ministry began its field-testing efforts nearly two weeks ago, targeting suspected infection cluster areas. Since then, there has been a steady increase in daily cases. The spokesman said around 1 million people have been screened so far in various neighborhoods throughout the Kingdom. The ministry has confirmed a total of 18,811 cases since the virus hit the country.Saudi Arabia signs $265 million China deal to expand Kingdom's testing capacitySaudi Arabia signed a $265 million deal with China to massively expand the Kingdom’s coronavirus testing capacity, official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Sunday.China will provide the Kingdom with equipment and materials to conduct 9 million tests, in addition to sending 500 specialized Chinese experts and technicians to test people in Saudi Arabia and train local medics.Read: Saudi signs $265 million China deal to expand Kingdom’s testing capacityThe Kingdom has also purchased tests from the United States, Switzerland and South Korea in order to reach its testing target of 14.5 million people, 40 percent of the Kingdom's population, SPA reported.Earlier this month, Health Minister Dr. Tawfig al-Rabiah said the Kingdom's coronavirus cases could reach between 10,000 to 200,000 based on four different studies conducted by Saudi and foreign experts.Saudi Arabia relaxes restrictionsEven though Saudi Arabia has relaxed some restrictions and curfews with the start of the Muslim holy month Ramadan, authorities continue to urge people to only go out when necessary, and to wear a face mask, maintain physical distancing and to avoid crowds while in public.Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia initially imposed a 24-hour curfew and lockdown on the cities of Riyadh, Tabuk, Dammam, Dhahran, and Hofuf and throughout the governorates of Jeddah, Taif, Qatif, and Khobar on April 6.Citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia were only allowed to leave their homes only for essential needs like food and health care and stay within their residential neighborhood from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily during the 24-hour curfew over the past several weeks.Late last week, authorities in the Kingdom slightly revised its coronavirus curfew timings for the month of Ramadan allowing residents to go out for necessary needs between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.Read more:Saudi Arabia partially lifts coronavirus curfew nationwide, Mecca lockdown remainsCoronavirus: Dubai sets new guidelines for government service centers to resumeCoronavirus in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh sets 13 rules to reopen malls on April 29
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia records 1,289 new cases, highest daily increase so far

When Palestinian Amir Naji was released from an Israeli prison he was told not to hug his family, but emotion overwhelmed him and he clutched his mother tight.After a moment, his father pushed away the 18-year-old, who was wearing a face mask, plastic suit and gloves.Naji briefly waved to other family members in the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank before being hurried to a nearby hotel for two weeks of isolation alongside other released prisoners.At-risk prisonersIsrael’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has included efforts to prevent outbreaks in prisons, including regular sterilization, checking temperatures of staff daily, and stopping visits from family and lawyers.But advocates are calling for more – urging the Jewish state to release at-risk prisoners.More than 5,000 Palestinians are currently detained in Israeli jails. So far, Israel says no cases have been detected among inmates.But the Palestinians said one released prisoner was infected and the justice ministry has called for an investigation.The International Committee of the Red Cross urged for those over 65 or with health conditions to be released.“Those measures are meant to reduce the number of detainees and to limit the potential exposure for the most vulnerable,” said David Quesne, head of the ICRC’s mission in Jerusalem.“We would like them released to the extent possible and if not then removed from the risk,” he added.Pain has ‘multiplied’Israel has nearly 15,000 COVID-19 cases, while in the Palestinian territories around 350 have been reported, though testing rates are lower.Palestinians are fearful that the disease will be brought into the West Bank by Palestinians returning from Israel, including the tens of thousands who work in the Jewish state and those released from prisons.Naji, who was jailed for a year after being accused of throwing stones at soldiers during a protest, was not released due to coronavirus but because his term ended.He said there was real fear of an outbreak in the prisons.“Life for [Palestinian] prisoners in Israeli prisons is tough, but after the spread of coronavirus their pain multiplied,” said Naji, who holds American and Palestinian citizenship.The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, a Ramallah-based NGO, said dozens of prisoners had been released since coronavirus arrived in Israel.Like Naji, they were all tested after being released and sent to quarantine, said the NGO’s Amani Sarahneh.She said one released prisoner, who had been detained for just four days, later tested positive for the virus.Israel poured scorn on the claim, saying the man was healthy when he exited the prison.The Israeli Prisons Service told AFP it had “prepared for months to prevent the entry and spread of the coronavirus in its facilities.”Each prisoner was given two multi-use facemasks and new prisoners are isolated for 14 days, it said, condemning what it called “false reports” in Palestinian media and elsewhere.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Palestinians fear coronavirus risk from Israeli jails

How London's financial watchdog missed the red flags remains a mystery
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: NMC Health scandal: so who knew what and when?

In the spirit of the wave of social justice demonstrations in 2011, Israelis in desperate economic situations due to the coronavirus outbreak are taking to the streets of Tel Aviv.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Israel under coronavirus: Economic straits revive social protests